Mad Max: Fury Road - Thoughts

Having recently watched the 1979 classic, I thought it would be near impossible for the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road to come close. I would go as far as saying that my expectation was that they’d botch it up, cause heck, the original Mad Max was a masterpiece. Interestingly, I was in for a surprise yet again; and if you’ve read my Mad Max review, you’d see that exceeding expectations is a commonality between these movies.

  

The first departure from the current trend was that Fury Road isn’t a reboot; rather it just serves as a continuation of the various adventures of the Max character. Intact is much of the original glory, while keeping true to various aspects of the previous installments in the series. Kicking things off with a brief intro, Max is portrayed more as a troubled man living with the demons from his past, versus an outright hero. The antagonist is a maniacal warlord, in an almost godlike setting, which quite reminded me of the Stargate movie. Pacing is pretty much non-stop, and frantic, with the bulk of the movie being one long non-stop chase. In keeping with the creativity of the original, clans, battle tactics, and characters, are truly unique, with the attackers on the poles being striking. The special effects are impressive, with special mention to the sequence in the sandstorm. The war brigade is fascinating, with a traveling music troupe as part of the crew, which just screams opulence and craziness. It quickly reminded me of the war chants and craziness of the Persian warlords of the past. Where it departs from the original, is its large scale, massive action, and hero dynamics; by virtue of being a blockbuster, it has a fictional feel. The uncanny coincidence between Max's wife, and Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron is intriguing. Technically, picture detail was fabulous, with incredible clarity.  In closing, though not a classic like the original, it’s certainly worth the watch. So if you haven’t, consider checking it out, as its still playing in most theaters.

Having seen both movies under an hour apart, one on DVD and the next in the theater, perhaps the similarity and successes shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, the creator and director of the original, George Miller, was at the helm of the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road. No wonder the creativity and continuity is intact, with an output that is in line with the legend that is now Mad Max.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (Newer, Bigger, and just as Crazy as Mad Max ought to be)

Mad Max - Thoughts

Mad Max is one of those movies I’d heard of growing up, but never had a chance to see, as it was before my time. Being a cult classic, and perhaps the pioneer in post-apocalyptic themed movies, it joined my watch list. The ironic part is me finally watching it less than an hour before hitting the theatre for the 2015 Mad Max – Fury Road release. To the unfamiliar, Mad Max is the story of a highway law enforcer, set in a chaotic and desolate world of the future, taking on a ruthless biker gang.

Being a really old movie, I had set my expectations fairly low, because I figured that with time it would have lost its charm; but boy was I wrong. Kicking things off with no introduction, audiences are thrown right into the action from the get go. The visual and narrative style are raw, uncut, and downright crude like the theme and setting of the movie. The world is portrayed as desolate, where society has fallen, governments and order have failed, and what remains are people who have lost all moral values. As the plot unfolded, it was interesting to observe the brand of twisted humor that was woven into the narrative. Though not obvious, with the heavy setting of the world in a state of decay, with carnage and gore in many of the sequences,  the comic elements help balance things and make for a good viewing experience. Worth special mention is the theatrical sense to the acting, and the overall presentation. Thanks to the attention given to the various elements, be it the costumes and set design, the acting and performances, or the editing and narrative exposure, Mad Max is in every sense a classic, and a genre defining movie. All the jagged elements are masterfully aligned, to create an ensemble presentation, that’s well paced, and has a long lasting, forever sorta feel. And the best part yet, is that as much as this future is tragic and decadent, it actually feels real, and somewhat plausible. Kudos to George Miller, the creator and director, for the artsy legacy created in Mad Max.

Characters are similarly crude with rough edges, with several stereotypes. You can’t but laugh with an antagonist named Toecutter, but then again, when the violence is unleashed, it gets very real, very fast. In addition to the treacherous biker gang, all the nomad villains are pretty cut throat and scary. Mel Gibson stars as Max, the title character. He is incredibly young, and does a decent job; his sense of inexperience and immaturity, fitting in well, as his character slowly evolves into a more heroic one.

The DVD I was watching was an India spec DVD, but it looked like the content hadn’t been changed in any way from other international releases. The presentation was decent, and though the picture looked dated, it was clear, especially in the case of skin texture. Sound was a very primitive Dolby 1.0; the center channel was sorely missed in the case of dialog, with the overall sound levels being really low.

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A classic that lives up to the words mad, and max)